From Sea to Sea: Pastor John’s Journey to help end poverty

I first learned of Pastor John Noordhof’s bike journey on behalf of those trapped in the cycle of poverty from Joe Groeneveld, Dixon’s youth leader. Pastor John, from the Williamsburg Christian Reformed Church, is involved in an extraordinary nine week biking adventure, crossing North America with Sea to Sea.

Pastor John Noordhof is part of a group of nearly 200 people of all ages who are biking in order to raise funds for the national struggle to end poverty. Sea to Sea is sponsored by World Renew, Partners Worldwide and the Reformed Church of America. When he left on his bike journey Pastor John had been pledged well over $10,000 by members of the Williamsburg Christian Reformed Church, and other community supporters.

On June 22, Pastor John dipped the wheel of his bike into the Pacific Ocean at Los Angeles. By August 24, he and fellow bikers hope to be in New York City to dip their wheels into the Atlantic.

Friday, August 16, around 7 a.m., following the night in Brockville, Pastor John Noordhof and other riders should be passing through Morrisburg, stopping at Upper Canada Playhouse for a brief reception. Members of his Williamsburg Church family and other interested people in the community are very welcome to come out and greet John and the Sea to Sea riders.

Sea to Sea recognizes that there are, of course, no quick fixes for poverty. The non-profit Bike Tour, whose motto is “cycling to end poverty”, is part of a multi-pronged approach to the issue. The 2008 Bike tour brought in $1.5 million for the cause. Organizers of the 2013 tour are hopeful that this year the donations may reach $3 million. The funds go toward organizations combatting poverty world wide.

Pastor John has had a full, and often exciting journey, peddling at least 70 miles every day. Mac Vandemaheen, of the Williamsburg Church, said that he spent part of the winter practicing for the trip on a stationary bike, but “he was ready to be out on the road.” On a blog, which he updates regularly, he has kept his supporters informed about the journey across North America.

Camping out in tents, staying in auditoriums, gyms in schools and community halls, the bikers have made new friends in the communities they passed through. In Colorado, Pastor John wrote that he stayed in a dorm, in a “real bed, the first since Vanguard nearly three weeks ago.” In Iowa, contending with rainy weather and two flat tires, he was thrilled by an unexpected visit from church members Ralph and Marge Norg, very much a “bright spot” on the journey. He describes beautiful scenery, the wonder of experiencing mountains, valleys and desert terrain.

There have been challenges. Temperatures along the way sometimes climbed to over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and the cyclists had to travel by truck: it was too risky to bike. Outside Colorado Springs, one cyclist fell and broke her leg. Crossing the Continental Divide, Pastor John wrote “There was one short, steep climb that I had to stop three times because I was totally out of breath. The elevation got me.”

However, all along the route, the bikers have met with hundreds of supportive and welcoming officials and ordinary people. Following their crossing back into Canada, the group was able to relax at Redeemer College, and attend a celebration service, where nearly 1,000 people filled the hall. They recently crossed over Toronto, detours, construction and all, a experience Pastor John recalls as “remarkable.” He also celebrated a birthday on the road.

Cyclists with Sea to Sea have described the tour as a “life-changing experience where they got to depend on God for his protection and had the opportunity to join others in collectively seeking to glorify God by raising money to aid those who are caught in the cycle of poverty.”

Donations to Pastor John’s cause can still be made by going to the Sea to Sea website.

A construction delay has ended up being something very positive for the Upper Canada Playhouse.

Upon losing their rehearsal hall space with the sale of the Eastern Star building in Morrisburg, early this year, Playhouse officials looked at all the options and decided that they would build a new addition to the existing Playhouse to have their own rehearsal hall space on site.

“We had expected to start construction on the rehearsal hall March 1st of this year,” he said. He explained that once the permitting and approval process was completed, the start date had to be pushed back further than originally anticipated.

At that point, it was decided that it was better to wait until fall (September) to start the project. Not only is that a better time for contractors who are already busy this time of year, it would also be outside of the playhouse’s peak season.

With the delay, Bowes decided to check out funding avenues for the construction project, as the playhouse is an important part of the community, both culturally and economically.

That effort was very worthwhile.

At opening night of the first show of the 2015 season at the Upper Canada Playhouse, local MP Guy Lauzon announced that the government will provide $97,500 for the expansion project.

“It’s a great financial boost, and affirmation that what we have built here at the Upper Canada Playhouse is appreciated, as a cultural attraction,” said Bowes.

“Upper Canada Playhouse takes pride in making a significant cultural and economic impact on our local communities by producing professional live theatre for the past three decades. By investing in the growth of our theatre through the addition of a rehearsal facility, the Department of Canadian Heritage supports the impact we’ve been striving to have in our community,” said Bowes.

“The construction of additional space for artistic performances benefits both the artists and the general public,” said MP Lauzon. “I am pleased that our government supports the Upper Canada Playhouse, a group that gives so much to its community.”

The funding is through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, which supports the improvement, renovation and construction for arts and heritage facilities. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing, visual and media arts.

A 29’x51’ addition is planned for the building. Construction is expected to take 2-3 months. The new addition will impact a portion of the existing mural that adorns the building, with a section being covered by the addition. It will only result in the loss of a few staff parking spaces.

About 10 feet of needed storage space will be added to the building as part of the project.

With the rehearsal hall delay, Bowes has had to find spaces for the actors to rehearse upcoming shows for this season and for the children’s summer camps to take place.

“It has actually provided the playhouse with the opportunity to get out into the community more,” said Bowes.

Their rehearsal hall this year will be at the McIntosh Inn, and summer camps will be taking place at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Morrisburg.

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